Child development is natural and to be expected. Parents look forward to these milestone moments and usually remember every detail from these times.
First word. First steps. One after the other. The growth and development of a child. Both wondrous and full of awe.
I can vividly remember the first time my child slept all through the night. Waking up after about eight hours of sleep, feeling refreshed and thinking, “Now, that was great. I slept all night.”
Then, the heart-stricken panic of, “The baby! I slept all night. Did I miss his cry?”
Dashing upstairs and flying into a nursery with my lil munchkin all snuggled in his crib; still sound asleep. My heart never beat so fast. Simultaneous relief and bliss.
A milestone that I wanted to celebrate.
That feeling of, “We’re there. We made it to the next stage.”
Although I wish someone−anyone−would have told me to anticipate this milestone, I was still happy. My child was at the age to expect this change.
Unwelcome Surprise
But what happens when a child’s development doesn’t align with the expected development age?
Parents whose child has central precocious puberty (CPP).
CPP is a rare condition where puberty starts too soon in children – usually in girls under 8-years-old and in boys under 9-years-old.
Two mothers share their experiences with their daughters’ CPP diagnosis. An interesting read that describes potential causes for the early onset of puberty and an honest voice of concern:
“For both mothers, the onset of early puberty is as much a mystery, as it is a curse.”
Living with CPP has to be a sensitive subject. These young children are in elementary school−surrounded by peers that are still playing tag at recess and may still believe in the “magic” of tooth fairies and Santa.
Their young minds are still so innocent, but yet their bodies “look” different than their peers with breast development. Easy targets for ridicule.
For most, the answer is medical intervention, “For the 5-year-old… her age was so young, doctors put her on medication to delay her period until age 10.”
Bottom Line
CPP can be very confusing and truly unexpected. After all, who knew children could go into puberty too early? The bottom line is early puberty is not healthy for children for many reasons. This is a complicated and stressful time for children, but there are resources and treatment to help.
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